Archive for September, 2008

Most of the Fairs are over for this summer and fall – but the people at Capitol Records in Nashville know country music fans aren’t done going to concerts in 2008! And they have a free one lined up for us!

Capitol is presenting Capitol Pub Crawl 2 on Sept. 18, on Demonbreun Street in Nashville. This free music event, being held near Music Row, will begin at 6pm.

Scheduled to perform at Tin Roof and Dan McGuinness on Demonbreun Street are Luke Bryan and newcomer to country music, Emily West.

I think we are all familiar with Luke’s music. He’s a great performer, fun to watch, and has had several songs out on country radio, including “Country Man,” and “All My Friends Say.”

I’ll be seeing Luke on Sept. 27, at Haywood County Fair in Waynesville, N.C.

I really hadn’t heard much about Emily, so I visited her MySpace page, and I hope all of you will, too. I think you will enjoy her music. I particularly liked “Goodbye Girl.” I checked Emily’s tour schedule, and for the most part, she seems to be hanging out around Nashville. But, I noticed she has the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on her schedule this year.

Following that show we’ll have Trace Adkins, with a special performance by Darius Rucker, performing on a specially erected stage on Demonbreun Street.

Trace Adkins has been around the country music scene for a long time now. And I for one am very glad to see he’s finally getting some of the recognition he deserves!

It doesn’t surprise me at all that the fans voted him Country’s Sexiest Man (announced in the most recent issue of Country Weekly magazine); but, in addition to that – I am very happy to see the the Academy of Country Music has nominated “You’re Gonna Miss This” as single of the year; Song of the Year; and Video of the Year. I believe Trace has been overlooked at these awards ceremonies in the past – and I’m very glad to see him there this year.

I don’t have a photo of Darius Rucker, who will be Trace’s special guest at the Sept. 18 concert, but I’m sure after some of you guys go to that concert and send them to me, I will. *smiling here*… I really do appreciate everyone who sends me pictures of their concert adverntures!

Darius, as we all know, was the lead singer of the former group “Hootie and the Blowfish.” His current single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” is climbing up the country charts. And it should be! It’s a great song! The song will be included on his first country CD, Learn to Live.

More later, keep in touch! We’ll chat soon! And, for those of you who haven’t seen the full list of CMA nominees for this year – we’ll get those up in a day or two. Take care!Countrycountry@countryschatter.com

James Ottoopened the Washington County Fair in Abingdon, Va., Monday night, Sept. 8. With songs like “Just Got Started Loving You,” and “For You” already making him a huge favorite of country music fans, James is also in the list of nominees for a CMA award this year. The awards will be presented at the live show on Nov. 12 in Nashville.

I didn’t get out to see James on Monday, but Brittany Johnson did, and was kind enough to share these pictures with me – and with all of you!

James has a full tour schedule ahead of him. He will be in Albuquerque on the 17th; Colorado Springs, on the 19th; Wichita, Kansas, Amarillo and then back to Memphis, the 19th, 20th and 22nd; and from Memphis back to Lubbock, Texas on the 26th.

I think we can expect to see James at the CMA award show, where he is hoping to pick up the award for New Artist of the Year. He has a four-day break in his schedule, from Nov. 8-12, but on the 13th he will be doing a show in Ontario, Canada.

This was one of the best surprises I have had in a long time. Kellie Pickler took the stage at the fair on Wednesday night. I liked her when she was on idol, she was cute, bubbly, sang ok, and she did country. I like her music on the radio – but I’ve never seen her in concert — until now.

Kellie is another example of how far people can go with the jump start they get form American Idol.

The kids who come from that show obviously want a career in music. They work hard at every part of “what makes a great entertainer.” And their hard work is paying off.

Kellie put on a fantastic show. I’m proud of her. She really, really did well. And I would go see this young lady in concert again.

And, she is another of of our CMA New Artist of the Year nominees.

I’m going to get a few more pictures of Kellie up here for all of you, before I move on to last night’s fair when Bucky Covington, another Idol graduate, was the headliner.

That brings us to Bucky Covington. I’ve seen Bucky before. He was good then, he’s even better now. He’s obviously very comfortable on the stage, and very comfortable around his fans. Bucky really likes who he is – and he’s not afraid to let you know that. When he’s ready for a huge round of applause, or a little screaming from all of his female fans, he does a little prompting to get the applause he’s looking for. But, he doesn’t have to. I think that audience was ready to give him all the applause and screams the kid could handle. It was a really good show.

There you have it – a few photos from Meet & Greet, a few of Bucky, and one or two of twin brother/drummer Rocky tossed in there for you all to enjoy.

I have one more fair coming up, that will be Sept. 27, in Waynesville, N.C. (The Haywood County Fair). So between now and then, we’ll get back to country news, and get caught up on everything happening in the world of country music.

Thanks again for reading, and for writing. You know it takes me a while to get my mail answered, but eventually, I really do get back to all of you. Countrycountry@countryschatter.com

Just a quick note to let you guys in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia know that Toby’s movie, Beer For My Horses, is now being scheduled for theaters in our area!

Johnson City’s Carmike 14, and Abingdon’s Cinema II will be the closest theaters to get the movie. Check their local listings for dates and times. That’s good news for all of Toby’s fans, who had to wait until his first film, Broken Bridges, made it to television to see it.

I’ll be getting pictures and information about the Washington County Fair in Abingdon, Va., up here as soon as I can. It’s not easy to get a post up every night with the fair farther away (than the one in Gray), and I do have to work every day this week. But I”ll do my best to get something up soon. Kellie Pickler did a great job with her show last night!

Everyone ready for the Washington County Fair in Abingdon, Va.? It will start tomorrow, Sept. 8, and run through Saturday the 13th.

James Otto will start out the week with WXBQ’s New Country Night. His bio says he’s a “country singer and songwriter with a Southern rock heart”. I like that. He plays violin and saxophone, and learned both of those before getting his first guitar at age 13. “For You,” is his follow-up to “Just Got Started Lovin’ You,” which was his first No 1 single.

I won’t be at the fair on Monday night, but I do have a friend going, and she should be sending me some pictures to post here for you guys on Tuesday.

The Kentucky Headhunters will take the stage on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The band has been around for a long time, but you might remember them best for “Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine,” “Dumas Walker”, “Oh Lonesome Me,” “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” and “Take These Chains from my Heart.”

Get ready for Kellie Pickler to take put on Wednesday night’s show. Reserved seating for her show has been sold out for months, but I’ll be there – in the third row, with camera in hand! So be sure to check back for photos from that show on Wednesday or Thursday. I’ll get them up just as quick as I can. We first heard her on the radio when she released “Red High Heels”, and she’s since released “I Wonder,” “Things That Never Cross a Man’s Mind,” and her current hit “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful.”

Trent Tomlinson will be on stage Thursday, Sept. 11. This is Trent’s third year in this area, he did the Appalachian Fair the past two years. He puts on a great show, and I highly recommend it to anyone who missed him his last two times through our part of the country. Trent is best known for his songs, “Drunker than Me,” and “One Wing in the Fire.” This is another night I won’t be at the fair, but as I said in an earlier post – as much as I would like to, I just can’t make it to all of them.

A little different for a county fair, we have Percy Sledge on stage Friday, Sept. 12. I’m probably not alone when I say that I remember him best for his 1997 hit, “When a Man Loves a Woman.” I really can’t say much more about this entertainer, I’ve never seen him in concert – but I’m sure he will put on a great show.

Closing out the Washington County Fair this year will be Bucky Covington. Bucky was here last year for the Appalachian Fair, and I know everyone is excited about seeing him again. He has a large following, not only in this area, but fans who come in from just about all parts of the country to see him perform. I’m looking forward to seeing him again, too.

That’s all for tonight. I’ll get a new post up as soon as I can. In the mean time, please visit the web pages of all of these entertainers, and check back through some of my older posts to see what you might have missed. Drop me a line when time permits! Talk to you guys soon.Countrycountry@countryschatter.com

They have the No. 35 song on Bob Kingsley’s Top 40 Countdown, and the video for that single, “When It Rains,” is being aired on both CMT and GAC. They are the Eli Young Band.

Eight years in the making, the group has put together a 12-song CD that “paints even the difficult times in life with an underlying optimism,” a recent press release read.

The debut album, Jet Black and Jealous, will be available Sept. 16, and of course includes the current single, “When It Rains.” The members of the group are Mike Eli, vocalist; James Young, guitar; Jon Jones, bass, and Chris Thompson on drums.

The four weren’t sure initially what they had or where they were bound, the release said. But they knew they needed to keep pushing forward, that there was something special in their boundless mix of modern country and solid roots-rock inspirations.

Without the help of a major recording label, the group sold 40,000 albums and got their video aired on CMT and GAC. Now, with the manpower of Universal Republic and Universal Records South behind the band, their single is on its way to becoming the longest running single in chart history.(Professional photographs courtesy of Universal Records South)

“We live in the American Idol age,” the age of instant celebrity,” Young said. “But we grew up listening to bands that did the same thing we eventually did. That was all we knew; Go out and start playing.”

Eli adds, “we can stand up with our heads held high because we have a history and we’ve gone out there for eight years and worked really hard. Everything we’ve done so far, we’ve built ourselves. I think there’s something to be said for that, being able to have our story and being able to have a history as a band.

Be sure to visit the group’s MySpace page, by clicking on their name in blue above. There you will find now only “When It Rains,” but other Eli Young music you can listen to as well. I think you guys are really going to like this group. I really like them – and I think you guys will, too.

The Washington County Fair starts Monday, Sept. 8 – and I will definitely get that lineup and other fair information here for you all tomorrow. Have a great weekend – and remember to check out Eli Young Band – maybe we’ll see them at a fair in our area next fall!

The Russell County Fair is being held this week in Castlewood, Va. I think I have that right. I rarely get to this fair, it’s a long drive, and comes in between the Gray fair and the Washington County Fair in Abingdon, Va. (And, we have The Tennessee Valley Fair in Knoxville in the mix, too). As much as I would like to, I just can’t get to all of them.

Washington County Fair starts on Monday, Sept. 8, so I’ll get something up here tomorrow night about that. Tonight, I want to pass on a little information I received today about Luke Bryan. So here’s a few pictures, and a bit about where you will be able to find Luke the end of this month.

Georgia native – Luke Bryan will be performing at the Haywood County Fair in Waynesville, NC on September 27, 2008 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are between $15 & $18 and may be purchased at http://www.haywoodcountyfairgrounds.org&nbsp; or at the gate. Even before Capitol Records Nashville released his debut single, “All My Friends Say,” to radio in early 2007, Bryan was already earning significant media attention, including being named one of Billboard magazine’s new faces to watch in 2007. He was the only country music performer selected for the honor. Bryan was also included in Country Weekly’s “Who’s Hot in 2007” feature and the single was chosen as an iTunes “Discovery Download” of the week. He made his debut on the world famous Grand Ole Opry early last year which Luke says was “truly a dream come true.”

Described as a talented triple threat vocalist, songwriter and musician – Bryan, who moved to Nashville in 2001 quickly, landed a publishing deal with top independent publisher Murrah Music. There, Bryan found his voice as a writer by sticking close to the life experiences he knows best, as evidenced on such album cuts as “Country Man” and his signature song, “We Rode In Trucks,” a favorite among his Georgia fans. He not only wrote songs for himself but he also had songs cut by other artists like fellow Georgian Travis Tritt and he wrote the 3 week #1 song “Good Directions” for Billy Currington.

“I’ll Stay Me” – Bryan’s debut album – released last summer – is a fresh and contemporary-sounding album that’s just country enough to represent Bryan’s rural Georgia upbringing, but rocking enough to reflect the years he spent honing his live chops at bars and fraternity houses in his home state, where he is already a bona fide star.

Luke has opened shows for country superstars Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Sugarland and label-mate Dierks Bentley to name a few. “I don’t consider one thing I’ve done since I’ve been in Nashville work,” says Bryan.

“I still get shocked all the time when I meet random people and they say ‘You’re Luke Bryan.’ That’s still pretty neat,” the singer says of his home state fan base.

That’s all for now – Let me know if any of you are planning to go to Waynesville for Luke’s Sept. 27 show – It’s a Saturday night guys! We can carpool. Take care, keep writing! Talk to you soon.Countrycountry5@hotmail.com

I hope all of you had a good Labor Day weekend. It’s always nice getting a three-day weekend, and visiting friends and family for a picnic, or final swimming party of the summer. Now, here’s a little news.

Trace Adkins will take part in another USO tour to the Middle East. He will be there for a week of entertaining, and giving the soldiers a chance to take pictures and get autographs. Trace has been a long-time USO supporter, he said he is humbled by the opportunity to spend more time with our nation’s finest.

Trace will be seen on CMT’s series Crossroads this fall, when he takes the stage with the southern rock band, 38 Special. The Crossroads special will premier Saturday, Sept. 27, at 8 p.m.

Josh Gracin will release his entire video catalog to iTunes, for fans to download beginning tomorrow, Sept. 2. Videos will include his No. 1 hits like “Nothin to Lose,” and “Stay with Me (Brass Bed).” Other videos set to be released are songs from his newest album, “We Weren’t Crazy,” including “Favorite State of Mind,” and his recent hit, “We Weren’t Crazy.”

Billy Ray Cyrus recently filmed a video for his new single, “Somebody Said A Prayer.” The video was filmed in Tarzana, Calif., and includes a brief glimpse of Billy Ray’s son, Trace, the lead guitarist for the band, Metro Station.

“Somebody Said A Prayer,” is scheduled to hit radio stations in the next few weeks. The single is from his upcoming CD, “Back to Tennessee.” That shold be released later this year. Looks like we’re going to have a lot of country music in our stockings this Christmas.

Heidi Newfield continues to prove that she backing away from Trick Pony was probably a good career move. Her solo album took the 10th spot on Billboard Hot 200 chart when it was released on Aug. 5, and also landed in the number 2 poisition on Hot Country Albums tally. Heidi said it was such a labor of love, and it’s wonderful to have it accepted and connect with everyone as you hope that it will. Her single, “Johnny and June,” is still getting a lot of radio, and a lot of requests from the fans. Those of us who saw Heidi at the fair in Gray, Tenn., two weeks ago know that she’s definitely “connecting” with her audiences.

Tim is scheduled to release a children’s book, ‘My Little Girl,” a story about a father and his daughter that turned an ordinary day into an adventure. The book is for children ages 4-8, is a picture book, and will be available Oct. 21.

Tim McGraw will be releasing his third greatest hits collection, called Greatest Hits 3, on Oct. 7. He had previously released Tim McGraw Reflected Hits Vol. 2, and 2000’s Greatest Hits, which both debued at number one on the country charts.

The new album contains 12 songs, including “Real Good Man,” “If You’re Reading This,” and a duet version of “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,” with Tracy Lawrence.

Later in October, McGraw will release his first children’s book, My Little Girl, a story about a father and his daughter that turn an ordinary day into an adventure. The ages 4-8 picture book will be available Oct. 21.

Tim is also appearing in a feature film, Four Christmases, which should be in theaters this Thanksgiving.

There’s a little update on television appearances, USO tours, movies, CDs and books, involving some of your favorite country singers. Check back tomorrow for a little info about the upcoming Washington County Fair in Abingdon, Va.

Keep writing – You know I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can. And you all know I love your e-mails! Take care!Countrycountry5@hotmail.com